My First
by Reda
Summary: L: "You had to be mine. My swordsman. My nakama. My first. My Zoro." Z: "Then I'm yours, Captain." A collection of LuZo one shots. Lemony goodness inside.  Yaoi-haters, consider yourself warned.
1. Steal My Pain

**Author Notes: **I have never written a yaoi pairing before. Bear with me. (Inspirational Theme: "You gave love a Band-Aid" from livejournal group 31_days)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. Obviously.

**Spoilers/Timeline: **After current arc (chapter 590~) - a continuation/spin off of "Things Never Were Normal"

**Warnings: **Rated M for a reason. Involves yaoi relationship. Shoo if you don't like that kind of thing.

**Pairing: **Luffy/Zoro, as in LuZo, as in Zoro uke. Because I said so.

~!~

Steal My Pain

~!~

The night air was calm. Quiet. Peaceful. The sea waves slapped lightly at their ship, and the clouds were thin and few, leaving room for the bright stars to shine.

It was a sight he could enjoy again. But he wasn't enjoying it for its existence on its own; he was more enjoying the serene calm that had blanketed his nakama.

So much had happened. So much had changed. There had been worry, at first. Tension, even, because they had been separated for too long.

Yet they were nakama.

And things really were going to be okay, as normal as they could be with a crew as diverse as theirs. At first glance, an outsider might wonder how they all got along, how they all worked. Usually pirate crews had a similarity among its members, an outward, obvious similarity.

But theirs…

They just were.

Luffy had chosen well, and Zoro had been first. A reluctant first, he admitted. A you-blackmailed-me-but-I-promised first. But still, the first. The start of it all.

Everyone else looked to him when Luffy was absent or unable to lead. No one ever came out and said "Zoro's the first mate" but at the very least, they turned to him after Luffy. They depended on him after Luffy. If Luffy was ever down…like at Thriller Bark… If Luffy was ever unable to defend for himself… It fell to him, Roronoa Zoro, second in command.

No one ever said so, but he definitely felt it - that responsibility. And he accepted it.

A light breeze whistled through his open shirt. He grimaced slightly, lifting one hand from the side rail of the ship to touch the skin, still sore. Was that soreness left over from so long ago, or was it just Luffy's punches from earlier today? He couldn't tell what worried him more.

"Did it hurt?"

He froze. Luffy was awake? And asking such a strange question…

The rubber boy was beside him before he could turn around. Of course, those rubber arms of his had stretched, grabbed the rail, and pulled the rest of Luffy's body to the edge, where he now sat cross-legged on the side. To be honest, it was a dangerous position, considering one wrong move and Luffy - the devil fruit user, cursed to never swim - could fall into the dark ocean below. And Zoro was most definitely not in the mood for a cold rescue dive tonight.

"Zoro?"

He froze again, feeling his face heat up at the way Luffy said his name. It was embarrassing. That question. That…almost pity… from Luffy, his captain. They had all adopted that tone around him after the tense moment today. But now Luffy had as well, but what was Luffy's reason?

Because he wasn't answering, Luffy poked his head into Zoro's face, successfully causing a now startled Zoro to tumble backwards a few steps before regaining control. He clenched his teeth together and met the eyes of his captain, wondering why the heat in his face wasn't cooling down even though he had control now.

"I'm fine."

Luffy cocked his head to the side, studying him, his hair and clothes flapping silently in the steady ocean breezes. Zoro put a hand up to his head to scratch at his own hair, but Luffy's grin made him freeze halfway.

"Yup. Still Zoro. Still lying about how you feel."

At this statement, he could feel his anger rumbling to the surface. So what if he lied about how he felt? If he wasn't hurting anyone or causing anyone else a problem, what did it matter? It shouldn't still be sore anyway. He was just imagining things! What right did Luffy have to talk about hiding pain, anyway? Luffy's pain was…

He grimaced, remembering how such a small sample of his captain's pain had been so horrible. It really was a miracle he had survived.

"Stop it, Zoro."

He blinked, coming out of his thoughts, seeing Luffy's serious expression and being startled backwards again because of it, putting a wall to his back. "Stop what?" He asked, watching Luffy shift positions to dangle his legs over the edge of the rail, facing Zoro with the hat down, the shade covering those eyes.

_What now? Why do I keep making him angry? _

Instead of answering, Luffy slid off the edge and walked toward him, keeping the hat down until they were almost touching. Then his captain did touch, reaching out with small boyish - but strong as hell - fingers to poke at his chest between the shirt. The touch was gentle, light, and yet he winced, feeling a sting of electricity run up the scar he had gotten from Mihawk oh so long ago.

"Stop stealing all the pain," Luffy said, at a whispered voice but with a demanding tone.

Zoro blinked, starting to feel the hints of something else in the air. Something…different. Definitely different. He had accepted the fact that Luffy had changed, but his captain had become even less predictable than he had been before.

"I'm not-" he choked on his words, losing his breath mid-thought.

It was Luffy's fault. The young captain had grazed his fingers across a sensitive area on his stomach. An awkwardly sensitive area. And with his face insisting on being red and hot, he doubted he could play off the slight moan as a reaction to pain - not pleasure. What was Luffy even trying to do? And why the hell was his body being so weird tonight? He was supposed to have excellent control over his own body and know his surroundings well enough to not get caught with his back to a wall - though, he did have to admit, Luffy was one of the few that could surprise him and catch him off guard.

"Stop stealing it all. Share some with me," Luffy said.

He shook his head, clearing the new and unwanted thoughts that had just hit his mind. "Luffy, just wha-"

He didn't get to continue. As soon as he opened his mouth, Luffy had dived, enveloping his lips with Zoro's, pushing his tongue into Zoro's unsuspecting, open cavern. And Zoro felt his mind explode.

He tried to resist. This was wrong after all. Luffy was his captain. Not his - not his… No! Just because he had thought of it before, imagined it… Just because…

What if that cook came walking in?

He moved his arms, intending to push Luffy away, but his captain was quicker and expecting it, grabbing his wrists and shoving them against the wooden wall behind them. Again, Zoro tried to resist, but if anyone could beat him in super human strength, it was the man he had chosen to follow: Monkey D. Luffy. The man he had been blackmailed into joining; he had accepted it as a duty at first and then later he had grown to accept it as something he had been meant to do. He had been meant to follow Luffy.

He had been meant to…

Clearing his thoughts again, he felt his face heat up more as a second moan filtered through his defenses straight into Luffy's mouth. _What the hell is __**wrong **__with me? _After that, Luffy pulled back and grinned, looking up, no longer letting the hat shade his eyes.

"Zoro, did you know, the first is always the most special?" There was a question, but Zoro didn't know how to answer it; he couldn't shrug all that well in this position after all. "Everyone else was chosen because they're the best at their position. But you…"

"I'm not the best swordsman," Zoro murmured. "Yeah," he sighed. "I kno-"

Yet again, he couldn't finish his thought, even though he had been so close this time before Luffy kissed him again. His captain didn't linger this time; he just pecked and then backed off.

"Would you stop doing that?" Zoro growled.

To which Luffy giggled. "But it's just so easy."

Zoro felt his eye twitch. "Oh so now I'm easy, too."

Luffy grinned. "Yup! Only for me though. Because I chose you for a different reason than the others. You see-"

"Wait, wha-"

Peck. Back away. Third kiss.

"Gah! Damn it, Lu-"

Another one. Longer. Way longer. So long, Zoro's lungs started to scream for air and he began to feel lightheaded. But the pleasure kept him going. Even if it was Luffy, it felt good. Maybe _because _it was Luffy. Maybe because he was being dominated by the younger captain, pushed into position yet again by this strange kid. When no other could make him feel so weak; when no other could demand so much loyalty from him. Whatever the reason, he didn't care anymore.

He was enjoying himself.

And as soon as he reached that point, Luffy let go, dropping his wrists as he took a step back. Zoro promptly fell, sliding down the wall until he was sitting at Luffy's feet, having lost control of his legs as well as everything else.

As Zoro fought for breath, Luffy spoke. "Stop interrupting me! I keep trying to explain what makes you so special, and you have to keep talking over me. Don't you want to know _why_ I wanted you? _Why _I wouldn't have it any other way?"

"I thought…that stuff…didn't matter…to you."

At this answer, Luffy crouched down, poking his face right in Zoro's again to the point that their noses were almost touching. Luffy sat there, staring, doing nothing but staring straight into Zoro's eyes, making him uncomfortable with the proximity. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes as his breath finally came back to him.

Trust Luffy to put him in such an awkward position. Trust Luffy to put him so off balance. Trust Luffy to…

"No one blames you, Zoro. No one. For anything. Ever." Luffy stated, as if it was the most simple fact in the world.

Zoro blinked. _Trust Luffy to know me better than I know myself. _

"Now give me back my pain. Those guilt feelings are supposed to be mine, you know," his captain whispered, tapping at his chest again. "That's not you. You aren't supposed to regret. Remember? You told me back when we first met that you hadn't done anything you regret and you never would. So what you feel now? That's my pain."

Zoro blinked again, remembering back to when he had fought Kuma. Remembering what had been said: _"All his pain and suffering."_ Did that include mental, too, and not just the physical. Just what in the hell had he accepted in order to save Luffy?

"Give them back!" Luffy whispered forcefully, punching his stomach and then forcing him down to his back before straddling his chest and glaring.

With a wince, Zoro frowned. "No."

Surprisingly, this answer caused Luffy to lose his anger. A sly smile slowly crossed the boyish face and the hat fell from his head to hang by the thread around his neck. "Then I'll just make it go away."

As Luffy leaned in, Zoro managed to throw up his hands and stop him this time. "H-Hey wait a minute. Aren't you even going to ask if I'm okay with it?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Uh, because otherwise, it's…just…that's what people do!" Zoro stammered. "It's polite."

"I didn't know you wanted polite," Luffy said. "I mean, your reaction to being forced was exactly what I guessed."

Heat started to seep into Zoro's cheeks again, and he put up no resistance as Luffy grabbed his arms and pushed them down to the deck of the Thousand Sunny. The captain then leaned his face down and connected their lips again, claiming every little inch of his mouth before releasing, leaving Zoro gasping for breath again, but leaving no time to get it back before latching on to his neck, blowing warm air across the sweat, licking, sucking when he got a reaction.

_Damn it, Luffy. How the hell do you know me…? Why the hell do I even… Gah…_

Zoro closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as Luffy's own teeth latched on to his ear lobe, the tongue making his earrings chime against each other. He could feel himself getting hot. Damn it, this is why he had been glad Sanji had started picking up the duty of saving Luffy from the water. Having his captain so close, breathing on him, licking, sucking, nibbling. Damn it all. He felt a moan coming to the surface, so he bit his lip to keep it from escaping. Damn it all to hell. What would Luffy say if he knew his strong swordsman turned so weak around him…

He heard Luffy giggle in his ear. "You know, that's actually kinda cute, Zoro." He blushed. "Especially when you turn red." Peck. "But you know…" Nibble on the jaw line. "I have a secret, too." Kiss on the tip of the chin, making him open his eyes and glare. "I moan the loudest."

Their lips finally met and Luffy snapped his rubber arms back in order to let Zoro free, because nothing in the swordsman was resisting anymore. As their tongues went from battling to caressing in turn, Zoro brought his now free arms around to hold Luffy at his waist, hooking his thumbs under the jeans, loving the thought that his hands were in Luffy's pants.

Luffy, on the other hand, now had free hands as well, which quickly moved to Zoro's shoulders, and worked at removing the open shirt, needing a bit of Zoro's cooperation in the end. After the shirt was off, one hand anchored on a shoulder, and the other started tracing the long scar diagonally across Zoro's well muscled chest, taking a short detour to rub and pinch a nipple, earning a throaty moan that vibrated through their mouths.

Luffy broke away from the kiss and started to wiggle down, kissing, licking, and nibbling as he went. Zoro closed his eyes and felt his hands pop out of the tip of Luffy's pants to hang in mid air, at least until he found Luffy's hair. His messy black hair that was usually hidden by the hat; he loved Luffy's hair, more so than the hat, but he would never tell Luffy to stop wearing the hat because it meant so much to him, but still…

"Gahhh…shhhiii….t," he hissed, having to work to keep the noises quiet.

Luffy had found another sensitive spot, and there was no way he would allow himself to be loud enough to wake the other crew members. He would never live it down if Sanji saw them like this - well, more precisely, saw proud, strong, demon pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro enjoying a spot on the bottom. He would lose his reputation with the crew if they got caught.

He knew his face was flushed, and he knew his breathing was erratic; what he didn't know was that Luffy was done teasing. He felt the pleasure shoot up and fan out like a wild fire; he'd heard that description used before, and that was exactly what he would say it felt like. Like fire coursing through. But a good fire. A warm fire.

A fire that made him… "AH! Fu- LUFFY! Daaamn…it…" ….that made him scream louder than he wanted to; if someone wasn't awake now, he would start praying.

Luffy chuckled. "Why so sensitive, Zoro? Has it been a while?"

"Mmf." _Not…fair, Luffy. Not fair at all. _

"I would think that of all the people on the crew, you'd have the most experience with this."

He felt his face flush again. Damn body. Through clenched teeth, he forced a response as Luffy continued to toy with the area around his rock hard body part, ever slowly working on lowering his pants. "Damn it, Luffy. You're supposed to -mmf- be the one who's innocent and all."

With a light laugh, Luffy looked up, his black hair poking into the edges of his round eyes. "Me?" He questioned as he slipped Zoro's pants down, throwing them off. "Innocent?" He smirked, sending an involuntary shiver down Zoro's spine, before the young captain popped the swordsman's rather hard member into his not-so-innocent-after-all mouth.

The fire of pleasure all but exploded and he felt himself drifting away, trying to remember the last time it had felt this good, but unable to come up with anything. As Luffy worked on him, he felt his lips part, felt his heart beating fast, felt his fingers clawing at something, anything. _What the hell? Why does Luffy do so much to me? It's not like I'm a virgin. But it has been a while… And…_

A hum brought him back, broke through the drifting to force him back to bliss. It also forced the inevitable scream from his lips. "LUFFY, FUUUUCK…ing…hell…" he barely squeaked out the last before familiar lips could enclose around his, muffling the rest of the moans as he released.

~!~

They had been forced to cut the evening event short because certain members of the crew _had_ woken up to that last cry, though hopefully none of them had deciphered the words - or the voice. Luffy had apologized for messing it up, as if _he_ had been the one to scream and wake up everyone, and Zoro had promptly smacked him for forcing it all so fast.

And so suddenly.

Now, they were gazing up at the star-filled sky, marked by thin clouds moving across the lights and the moon to create expressive shadows across their faces. It had been Luffy's watch after Zoro's but Zoro couldn't sleep. He was still trying to unwind the tangled web that his thoughts had become.

Leaning against the ship rail, he looked to his left to stare at his captain, who was yet again sitting cross-legged on the edge, not a care or worry about sitting so precariously close to possible death. Maybe it was his trust in Zoro that kept him so care-free.

"So, Luffy," he started, wanting to figure out the answer to a certain question that had been bothering him.

"Oh, look, it's Chopper!" Luffy exclaimed, pointing to a set of stars, which, after a while, Zoro could admit looked somewhat like their little reindeer friend. He grunted. So much for Luffy listening to him. "Sorry, Zoro, what did you have to say?"

He blinked. Or maybe the captain had always been listening. "Nothing, I guess, I just-" This was strange. He was at a loss for words, stumbling over his thoughts.

What in the hell was it about Luffy that messed him up like this?

"Just what?" Luffy prompted, turning from staring at the stars to look Zoro in the face.

He took a breath. "Why?"

Luffy blinked. "Why what?"

"Why me?"

At this, Luffy laughed. "Because you're Zoro, duh!" Smiling at his swordsman's confused quiet, Luffy turned back to look out at the water.

Zoro shook his head and put his face in his hands. What the hell was he doing?

"You're my swordsman, my nakama, my first," Luffy stated as if just marking off common knowledge points. "Because you promise and you keep it. You dream and believe in it. You never regret, never turn back." Luffy paused to look over at Zoro, who was staring, dumbfounded. He smiled and grabbed his swordsman's hand, pulling him closer. "You get lost but you know you'll always eventually get there."

Zoro felt his face flame up again, a reaction that had suddenly become so normal, though still just as embarrassing. He glanced away, but Luffy put a hand to his face and leaned forward to meet their lips in a quick kiss. This successfully turned Zoro's face a temporary shade of light red.

"I don't know, really. I just… From the moment I saw you, I knew. When I talked to you, I knew I was right. You had to be mine. My first. My Zoro."

And with that, Zoro took the initiative and pulled Luffy close to him, murmuring a quick. "Then I'm yours, Captain." They touched again, enjoying the lull of the waves against the ship and the relative quiet of the night, but the cliché of kissing under the moonlight was lost on them. They just resolved to enjoy themselves - this time without going the next step, at least for now.

And of course, Luffy broke the moment when he broke the kiss to comment on his random string of thoughts. "You know, we're going to have to find a place where you can scream without waking everyone up. I want to show you what I can really do."

~!~

_A/N: FLUFFY! *cough* Anyway, there will be more in this collection. And I do mean more hot LuZo action, too. This is my first so be nice but please let me know what you think. ~_


	2. 10 Little Moments

**Author Notes: **I wanted to try a drabble for the first time, you know, that 100-word-exactly thing. Ended up doing way more than one. So. Here. This goes to Kairi-Yajuu, my lil' sis. Her favorite character is Sanji, so even though this is LuZo I threw in a little gift for her. Also 'cause of the theme, I just _had_ to use Sanji somewhere.

All of these drabbles are kinda stand-alones, except not really. They all follow a timeline of "little moments" during a day. Once I got going, I couldn't stop. xD

[Inspirational Theme from LJ community 31_days: "You made the rice, I made the gravy, but it just may be some tuna fish you're lookin' for."]

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. If I did then…well…if I owned Oda I would simply bow to him and steal his money. Because he knows what he's doing better than I ever could.

**Spoilers/Timeline: **Takes place after Arlong, before Loguetown. (Remember, these are one shots ;P And yet, everything's connected in a…weird…way).

**Warnings: **Rated M for a reason… Well… The First 10 are K+ (just kisses and a few 'bad words'). The Next 5 is the *cough* other stuff and those don't even get too bad. Kairi, my sis, wanted cute. And I wanted more than that. Sorry, Kairi, couldn't resist ~

**Pairings: **LuZo

~!~

10 Little Moments

~!~

_1...Rice_

_~!~_

After dinner, Luffy found that he was still hungry. And bored. He eyed the mikan trees they had picked up after kicking Arlong's ass.

No. Bad idea. Those were Nami's. He didn't know why, but they meant a lot to her.

So he went to the kitchen.

And found Zoro munching on a bowl of rice.

With Sanji sitting across from him, staring at _his_ swordsman.

Shifting his hat, Luffy acted. He bounced to Zoro's side and kissed him on the lips without warning.

Stunned, Zoro froze, chopsticks midway to his mouth.

Luffy grinned. "Arigatou, Zoro! Your rice was good."

~!~

_2...Sarcasm_

~!~

Zoro was trying to sleep. Key word: _trying_.

"Sorry I ate your food, Zoro."

"Hn."

Maybe Luffy would get the clue and let him sleep.

A finger poked at his bandaged chest where Mihawk had sliced him open. "Did it hurt?"

He opened his eyes, meeting his captain's, who was sitting in his lap. His heart pumped faster.

"No."

Beat.

"Liar."

Beat. Beat.

"S'called sarcasm."

"Sarcasm sucks."

Luffy got quiet. Zoro tried sleeping again.

"Will kissing make it better?"

Beat. Beat. Beat.

"What?" His eyes shot open.

Luffy grinned and leaned forward. But then laughed. "Zoro, your face is red!"

~!~

_3...Falling_

~!~

Luffy let his legs swing from the edge of his special seat as he waited on a fish to bite the line. This was boring. Too bad Zoro had gone back to sleep.

A tug on the line made him flash to his feet, but he lost his footing, tipping over, falling…

He hit the water. He couldn't move, hating this weakness as he sank.

And then Zoro had him in his arms and they were above water.

Luffy took a deep breath and coughed.

"Idiot," Zoro murmured.

Luffy just snuggled against his swordsman. Maybe he should fall more often.

~!~

_4...Careful_

~!~

Zoro grimaced at the feel of salt water against his still healing wound, remembering the pain of losing that fight. He'd always have that reminder. His failure.

He sighed, looked at Luffy, and blinked, not sure what to make of the content smile on his captain's face.

"Oi, Luffy, you could try to be a little more careful."

The big black eyes looked up at him and grinned. "I am careful."

"You? Careful?" Zoro muttered as he climbed the side of the Merry.

Luffy stuck his tongue out and huffed. "I pick my crew very carefully, and you were first."

~!~

_5...For You_

~!~

Luffy watched with sad eyes as Zoro left. Training, he said. Had to get better, he said.

But the swordsman kept sneaking his hand to his chest, subconsciously picking at the bandages and grimacing as if it was still bothering him.

Luffy frowned as his Zoro went away.

"Shitty marimo's gonna kill himself doing that."

Sanji.

Luffy spun around to face the cook. "Doing what?"

"Saving your ass."

Luffy blinked. Then lowered his eyebrows. "Sanji."

"Hm?"

He put on his wide grin. "MEEEEEEEEEAT!"

"Jeez, you just ate." Sanji sighed. "But whatever."

As Sanji walked away, Luffy whispered, "It's for Zoro."

~!~

_6...Surprises_

~!~

Zoro let his mind wander as he trained. One weight in each hand pumped a steady rhythm. That constant sting on his chest was starting to disappear.

"Oi, Zooorooo."

Then Luffy showed up.

With food. That wasn't being eaten.

He stopped his steady rhythm in his shock. "Luffy, what the hell?"

Luffy held the plate out to him. Rice. And a slab of seaking meat. And…

"Oi, marimo, the idiot forgot your favorite part." And Sanji had… was that sake?

Zoro put the weights down. "Okay, what the -" And then Luffy kissed him. For the second time that day.

~!~

_7...Watching_

~!~

Luffy watched Zoro eat, laying on his stomach, his legs kicking lightly through the air. He watched the chopsticks grip the rice so expertly, amazed that nothing fell.

He watched as Zoro put the chopsticks down, picked up the bottle of sake, and then blinked. "Okay, Luffy, what's going on?"

Luffy grinned. "Nothing."

He watched as an eye twitched. "You're watching me eat. Don't tell me 'nothing.'"

Luffy laughed. "I wanted to."

"You wanted to?"

"Yup! I'm the captain. I can do what I want, when I want, with who I want."

He watched Zoro chug the sake. And smiled.

~!~

_8...Dishes_

~!~

"What are you doing, Zoro?"

He grunted in response. "Washing dishes, what's it look like. Idiot cook…"

"No, I mean about Luffy."

He froze, gripping the dish currently in his hand. He turned to face Sanji who stood beside him, cigarette drooping.

"What are you talking about?"

Sanji rolled his eyes. "You really are dense, aren't you?"

"Wanna say that again?" He growled, throwing a glare at the ero-cook.

Sanji smirked. "You. Are." Zoro got ready to throw a punch, but Sanji changed his wording at the last second. "So hopelessly falling for him."

The dish crashed to the floor.

~!~

_9...Bored_

~!~

Luffy was bored again. And Zoro wasn't in his usual places.

"Hey, Usopp." He tapped his friend's shoulder, laughing at the way the sharpshooter stiffened and spun around so quickly.

"Oh," Usopp panted. "It's you, Luffy. Not that it could be anyone else. I knew-"

"Where's Zoro?" He interrupted before Usopp could continue.

"Ah, he was helping Sanji with some dishes, I think."

Nami scoffed from a chair where she was reading a newspaper. "Yeah, I was shocked to see Zoro helping for once."

But Luffy had stopped listening. _Helping Sanji…_

Maybe he hadn't made his point clear enough earlier.

~!~

_10...Jealous_

~!~

The dish still lay shattered on the floor. Zoro was still staring dumbfounded.

"I'm not… he's not… we're not…"

Smoke blew into his face. "Could have fooled me."

"SANJI!"

Luffy slammed the door open. Sanji hung his head. "Luffy, if you eat anymore we're gonna run… out…"

But Luffy hadn't said anything about food. Or meat. And when Zoro turned his head, he understood why the cook's words had been lost. Luffy looked angry.

Zoro looked from Luffy to Sanji, then back. Before he could say anything, Sanji chuckled. "All right, I get it."

"Get what?" Zoro blinked.

"Captain's jealous."

~!~

_A/N: So that's 10 little moments. But. I had to wrap it up with something. And there IS a reason for the M rating after all! Another whole set worth. But. Only 5 this time. I apologize for the silly phrases ahead of time; you'll see what I mean. _

~!~

5 Silly Phrases

~!~

_1... "I Want Yours"_

~!~

With Sanji gone, and the door now locked, Luffy smirked, dropping the innocent act.

Finally, Zoro understood.

And his face was turning red again.

Luffy walked to the empty table and grinned. He had a great idea. "Oi, Zoro, I'm hungry!"

The red disappeared from Zoro's face and he looked less nervous, obviously not understanding after all. "Then why'd you kick Sanji out?"

"I don't want Sanji's meat," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. He stretched his arm and pulled Zoro to the table, jumping on top and pinning him down. "I want yours."

~!~

_2... "Be Nicer With My Swords"_

~!~

Zoro didn't know what to say. He was completely off balance. He was on a table. And Luffy was on top, grinning wide like he had just won a contest.

Or like he was about to eat.

In his dazed state, Luffy had managed to take his white sword and throw it to the floor.

"Hey, be nicer with my swords…"

He hadn't meant to put a plural, but he was so used to having three it had come out that way simply by habit. He found himself cursing Mihawk for breaking his other two katana.

Luffy snickered. "I will."

~!~

_3... "This is Normal"_

~!~

Luffy loved the way Zoro blushed around him. The swordsman never showed anyone else that cute, weaker side. He probably tried to hide it from his captain, too.

Well, too bad Luffy loved seeing it.

Zoro's eyes closed and the blush disappeared, eyes opening again slowly. "Okay, Luffy, enough playing around. Go back to being your normal self."

Luffy frowned and refused to move. "This is normal."

Zoro blinked. "This is normal?"

Luffy nodded. Grinned. Leaned down and kissed his swordsman's neck until he could feel warmth.

He sat back up, pleased to see that blush again. "Yup. Definitely normal."

~!~

_4... "Too Hard to Stop"_

~!~

Zoro felt that annoying ass blush creep back up to his face. Damn it all to hell. What was Luffy doing? Why couldn't he just get off…

He blinked, seeing his haramaki off and being thrown in the same place where his sword now rested. He reacted quickly, feeling his heart beating faster. Grabbing Luffy's wrists, he stopped his captain from stripping him anymore, though his shirt was now rolled up and revealing his bandaged lower chest.

"Stop," he said, mouth dry.

But Luffy shook his head. "Too hard to stop now."

He looked down, and blushed again, understanding immediately.

~!~

_5...His First_

~!~

Luffy was pleased to see Zoro blush again. He'd experienced a slight panic when Zoro said 'stop.' A panic worrying if he had gone too far, too fast, even though he had waited so long from that first meeting.

But if Zoro was still blushing, then the swordsman was just trying to hide his feelings; he was just trying to keep himself in control. Zoro wasn't used to losing control, that much was obvious.

But it was so fun to play with him.

Luffy knew Zoro. He knew them all, but mostly Zoro.

Because Zoro was his favorite, his first.

~!~

_A/N: Yup. Ending it there. Because I'm evil. And it's kind of weird trying to write lemony stuff in 100-word clips. If you guys liked it, I'll do more and continue this little drabble sequence - before I go back to the style of the first chapter. Because I will go back to that style; I just wanted to try something - and it exploded. Let me know what you think!_


	3. Out At Sea

**Author Notes: **Thanks so much for all the reviews/favorite/and alerts! Oh my gosh I was not expecting anything at all, really. It really makes my day to learn that there are other fans of this pairing (it feels so lonesome sometimes). I've had an idea for a Luffy, Zoro, Sanji love triangle because of reviewer -TwinkleNoob- but I haven't decided if it'll be a one shot or a multi-chapter story, though I'm actually leaning for a multi-chapter idea. So~ We'll see what comes of that.

**Inspirational Theme: **"Life is short and the world is wide." (from live journal 31_days community)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. All characters and settings are completely from the mind of Eiichiro Oda. I do own the err, idea, I guess?

**Spoilers/Timeline: **Continuation of…chapter 1! (ie: past current arc) Oi, I just love the idea of Luffy knowing about Zoro's sacrifice.

**Warnings: **Rated M for a reason. Yaoi relationship and smut. Also, an argument could be made that Luffy is OOC but I am of the belief that with everything that's happened, he's still going to be healing emotional-wise.

**Pairing: **LuffyxZoro. LuZo. Best. Pairing. Evar! : )

~!~

Out At Sea

~!~

Zoro lay awake in his hammock in the men's quarters, finding himself unable to sleep. The ship rocked back and forth lazily across the waves, a lulling movement that should have sent him off to dreamland right away. It usually did.

The others had drifted off easily enough. Sanji was mumbling about a mixture of food and women in his sleep in a language Zoro wasn't even trying to understand anymore. Usopp was cuddling with his slingshot and snoring lightly like a young boy. Franky's snores were loud and annoying like an old man, but the constant squeaking of his cyborg parts made it somehow worse. Brook wasn't really asleep, but he was quiet and deeply involved in his own thoughts; the skeleton didn't have to sleep, but he did sometimes just to pass time.

Above him, Chopper mumbled something really fast and then moved so suddenly that he tipped sideways and landed on top of Zoro. The reindeer sat up quickly, blinking the sleep from his eyes, and Zoro sighed as he lifted the little guy into his arms, pushed out of his own hammock and set the ship's doctor back where he had fallen from.

"Zoro?" Chopper's little voice whispered in the silence of the calm night.

He grunted. "Just go back to sleep."

He could feel Brook watching him, so after he was sure Chopper was comfortable in his dreams again, Zoro made his way to where the skeleton, the musician, was sitting against the wall. He sat down next to the fellow swordsman and stared straight ahead at nothing in particular.

Chopper and Usopp were both comfortable cuddling into balls - or as close to scrunched balls as they could make themselves. Sanji was sleeping on one hand and had the other hanging off the edge, kissing at air every once in a while. Franky was -

"I - uh - have a confession to make, Zoro-san."

At Brook's low whispered voice, Zoro stopped his train of thought and grunted to acknowledge that he was listening, though he was already sure he knew what the musician was going to say.

He sat with his back to the wall, legs pulled up, one hand on his chin, elbow resting on his knee, eyes on his swords which were sitting in specific stands in the corner - stands that Franky had made for him as a stupid 'welcome back' gift. Apparently, everyone got something, but Zoro had been the last to return so it had turned into a bigger deal because it had involved the entire crew.

Shaking his head, he cleared his thoughts and focused on what Brook was saying. "I let it slip. What you did for Luffy-san at Thriller Bark."

Zoro closed his eyes, wishing the event could be dropped already; he'd only done what he'd needed to do; Luffy had to be the Pirate King; his dream was worth more than all of theirs. He wasn't sure when it had happened, when he had changed his mind, when he had put Luffy above himself, but there it was. And having everyone know, having Luffy know…

"They were all so worried; it took you so long to show up. For days, I managed to keep it from them, but then Luffy-san confronted me. He's so good at knowing these things."

Zoro sighed and pulled himself to his feet. He needed a moment to think. Maybe he could sleep better outside with the sea breeze, find a spot in the crow's nest. "Don't worry about it; it's too damn hard to keep secrets from Luffy."

Brook nodded, but Zoro had already moved, his eyes glancing over his swords and then moving on. He didn't need them with him all the time. Besides, Luffy was outside, taking watch. He smiled softly when he realized what he'd just thought. Here he was, willing to be with Luffy alone, completely alone, even setting the swords to the side. Now when had _that_ happened?

The moment he walked onto the deck, he felt the chill of the night breeze, and he almost stepped back inside, thinking better of it. But Luffy had already caught him.

"Hey, Zoro."

Looking up at the voice, he found his captain sitting on the lion's head of their ship, always on his special seat. Luffy hadn't turned around; he was still facing forward, into the sea, the light breezes ruffling his clothes and making his hat twitch where it sat against his back, the thread keeping it held to his person. All thoughts of going back inside left his mind, and he found himself being pulled toward his captain. Luffy had a way of doing that with a simple phrase, even so simple as a greeting.

Closing the door behind him, Zoro walked toward the front of the ship, toward his captain. As he walked across the deck, he realized that he did feel a little strange without the three swords at his side; his right hand was sifting through the air, trying to lean against something that wasn't there anymore. It wasn't that he _needed_ the swords; things just felt right with them there, so it set him on edge to have them so far away from his hands. Maybe that was why he couldn't sleep.

"Zoro?"

Luffy's questioning voice had him pop out of his thoughts again. "Hm?" He looked up to find that he was eye-to-eye with his captain, and the sudden close proximity had him falling to the deck in surprise, reminding him of the other night as he did so. "Damn it, Luffy, stop doing that."

Luffy sat still, crouched just in front of him yet still standing on the lion's head - or at least the edge that ran down to the deck where Zoro had been standing. The captain cocked his head to the side, the black hair poking into rounded eyes. "Stop what?"

"Stop surprising me so much," he mumbled, staring up at Luffy, who was now silhouetted against the moonlight.

Luffy grinned and shrugged. "I can't help it; you're supposed to be so observant and catching you off guard is just so -" he cut off with a light laugh before hopping off the special seat and landing between Zoro's legs, meeting his eyes.

For a moment, Zoro thought Luffy was going to kiss him, as he had become prone to do whenever they were close - and especially when they were alone. But the captain just smiled and sat down, crossing his legs and throwing his hands to the small space between them.

Zoro kept his legs stretched out before him with his arms behind in the position he had fallen. Standing back up would require getting Luffy to move, and he didn't want to do that. Though the position was starting to ache and the close proximity was starting to put him on edge. He kept waiting for Luffy to do something, shove him down, kiss him, anything, but the boy captain was just sitting there, staring up at him, and smiling. Looking for all the world like an innocent child.

And here he was having perverted thoughts, fighting an urge to do something he had only recently come to terms with personally.

"Do I make you uncomfortable, Zoro?"

After so long of silence - or did it only _seem_ long - the random question from Luffy caught him off guard. "Huh?"

Luffy laughed. "Do I…" A rubbery hand touched his thigh. "Make you…" And the same thing on the other side. "Uncomfortable?" Luffy's head titled and his eyes closed as he grinned this time.

Zoro blinked. "No," was his immediate answer. Then he corrected himself. "Yes." And thought better of it again. "Maybe."

With a smile, Luffy pulled his hands back and shot to his feet, pulling the hat to his head. Zoro was left wanting… wanting…

He felt his face heat up as he realized where his mind had wandered. Where his body was insisting he wander. _What the hell? Is he going to do this to me for the rest of my life now?_

Luffy didn't respond. Besides the smile, he didn't even show that he had heard the answer or that he cared. The captain had his eyes out to sea, looking forward; he seemed to be doing that a lot lately, thinking or day-dreaming instead of playing. All Zoro could think of to explain Luffy's change was that everything that happened while they were separated had cut Luffy deep, making him more protective of his nakama, more worried for their safety; his confidence in his own ability was wavering, and the knowledge that Zoro had stepped up in Thriller Bark to make a deal with a Shichibukai - a deal to protect the captain who was so intent on protecting his crew - well, hopefully it didn't make Luffy feel less reliable.

Because he was the most reliable captain, friend, nakama that anyone could ever ask for.

"Oi, Luffy, stop it."

Luffy turned, his hat covering his eyes, but his shoulders were slumped and his mood was anything but his normal happy. "Stop what?" He whispered.

Reaching up, Zoro grabbed Luffy's arm and pulled him down. Well, _attempted_ to pull him down. The arm just stretched and all he ended up with was a rubbery limb. Zoro scowled. "Oi, stop doing that! Get down here!"

Before he could really finish the command, Luffy was down. Knees connected with his chest and Zoro felt the jolt of pain as his head smacked against the deck beneath him. With a growl, he shook his head slightly and blinked his eyes to focus everything again. "Hey watch it-"

And then a warm, needy mouth finally connected with his own - and just as he was trying to be sentimental, too. Unlike the other night, Zoro didn't resist at all, recognizing that Luffy needed him to be willing, needed him to be here for comfort. As Luffy's hands clung to the swordsman's shirt collar, Zoro brought his own arms up to wrap around the captain, pulling the warm body closer to his own.

After a few moments of hardly any noise, hardly any movement, a moan vibrated through their mouths, coming from Luffy, freezing Zoro as a shiver spiraled down his spine and the warmth of Luffy's intimate lips against his eventually pulled a light moan from his own throat.

The fingers at his shirt collar reached underneath the fabric and began massaging his neck, causing him to grunt and moan in turn. And then Luffy started digging his fingernails into the skin as he began ripping at the white shirt from the middle. Zoro reached around and put his hands against Luffy's shoulders, pushing him back, but by the time he managed to pull the insistent lips from his own, his shirt was already ruined, ripped straight down the middle and pulled free from the haramaki.

"What?" Luffy asked, all innocent as if he wasn't doing anything wrong.

Zoro blinked, looked down at his ruined shirt and then back up. "What do you mean _'what?'_ You just ruined my shirt for no good reason!"

Luffy shrugged. "I wanted to."

Zoro blinked again. "You wanted to?"

"Yup! I'm the captain; I can do whatever I want on my ship, right?"

Zoro blinked yet again, forced into a stunned silence. Luffy took the moment to push Zoro's hands back down to the deck and latch his lips over a now exposed collarbone.

"Geh…" Feeling the heat rush to his face, Zoro leaned his head back and bit back the whimper. He would _not_ let that noise free no matter _where_ he was or _who_ it was; his pride demanded more than that.

Luffy nibbled a bit then licked upward, landing on a spot at the end of his jaw line, right by his ear. Zoro closed his eyes and snapped his teeth together, while Luffy's finger traced the scar down, then back up, then down again, pushing the remains of the white shirt to the side. He moved his nibbling to Zoro's ear, licking up the edge before latching on to the top, earning a throaty moan as the swordsman worked so hard to keep it back.

Zoro kept his eyes closed, knowing that his eyebrows were twitching, but so was his lip and his teeth had released blood when Luffy moved to his ear, sending shudders down his back. His body was warm, though his face was probably the worst, and his breathing was getting harder to control. He felt the cool air on his stomach before he realized that his signature green haramaki had been removed, and then Luffy's lips left his skin in order to let him move down and pull the rest of the swordsman's clothes off before shaking out of his own shirt.

Zoro reached a hand up and touched Luffy's exposed chest, feeling the heat in his face rush downward when Luffy smiled. Such an innocent smile, so cute, so young, and yet so misleading.

Luffy began to wiggle out of his pants, so Zoro dug his hands into the shorts, sitting up a bit in the process, to help the rubber man get free faster. As soon as the pants came off, though, Luffy pounced, shoving Zoro back to the deck

_Oh shit, we are out on the deck. What if someone comes out-_

Even his thoughts got interrupted by Luffy's kiss, it seemed, for as soon as that familiar tongue poked into his mouth, Zoro found himself getting lost in the pleasure again. When Luffy broke, earlier than Zoro would have liked, honestly, the kid moved to his ear, getting the desired reaction.

And then he whispered. "Arigatou, Zoro."

Before he could respond or question, Luffy pounced into position again and licked the length of Zoro's member before popping it his mouth. Pleasurable fire fanned and covered all thoughts, removing even the reaction to the "thanks" to replace it with a cut off cry.

"Ah, LUFFY!" He clenched his teeth, but had to breathe, and ended up choking out. "Daaaaaamn it…"

Zoro was in the process of moving a hand to cover his mouth, but Luffy slapped it away and inserted a few fingers, stroking his tongue. Before Zoro could protest, Luffy hummed, and the shock of pleasure that struck him had his damn body moaning without permission again.

"Nngg…" he breathed.

He could feel the climax coming, and he tried to warn Luffy, but his captain seemed to be ahead of him already, popping the fingers out of his mouth only to cover it with his lips again, giving Zoro a taste of his own pre-cum. And then those fingers went into his opening and Zoro winced; he tried to move his hands to wrap around Luffy, but the captain was ahead of him, pinning his arms to the deck again, having grabbed Zoro's wrists with his free hand and shoved them above the swordsman's head, stretching those rubber arms to make such a distance.

_Damn it, Luffy, you could at least let me have some control._

Why did Luffy always have to be ahead of him? When it came to understanding someone, to knowing someone, _really_ knowing them, Luffy seemed to have a gift. He always knew what to say, what to do, and yet the crew, Zoro included, had found themselves at a loss when it came to dealing with Luffy's depression moods. With the captain's confidence faltering…

_Ah. That's why. Okay, Captain, you have full control, for now, but one of these days we're going to have to get even._

The kiss broke again and Luffy adjusted himself, lifting Zoro's leg with one hand - the other still holding onto the swordsman's wrists. "Oi, you could let me go."

But Luffy looked up and smiled. "Nah."

And then Luffy entered, and Zoro felt himself arch back, slamming his head against the deck as the pain assaulted all at once. _Oh god, oh fuck, oh…_

Then came the pleasure, and he felt his eyelids flutter as he attempted to keep his eyes open. Forgetting to bite his lip, the moans and cries came out freely, feeling waves of pleasure with each thrust. "Fuck! Luffy! Gah!" But the cries were muffled when Luffy leaned forward, pushing himself in as far as he could, getting a soundless squeak out of the swordsman before pressing their lips together - and letting Zoro's hands go free in the process.

But even with his hands free, Zoro found himself unable to move them; he just kept clawing at the deck, losing himself in the moment, moaning into Luffy's mouth, keeping his eyes closed. Then the climax hit, at the same time as Luffy surprisingly. _Damn kid. Knows too damn much for his own good. _

Luffy pulled out and lay on top of him, exhausted, the black hair resting just underneath Zoro's chin. Eventually, Zoro had the breath and the strength to pull his arms down and rub Luffy's back, making little circles. He stared up at the sky above, and found that sleep was finally waiting for him.

Except, Luffy broke that when he announced, "Robin knows now."

~!~

After he had pushed Luffy off of him and forced the boy to get dressed again, and after Zoro had gone down to retrieve another shirt - this one blue and open - he and Luffy stared out at the ocean together. Luffy sat on his special seat and Zoro stood beside and slightly behind him, arms crossed.

He grimaced, remembering the sly smile from Robin that had greeted him when he had come back to the deck with a new shirt. She had been talking to Luffy, apparently, but she didn't say a word to him. That was pretty much their relationship, though. No one really said much to Zoro, not while on the ship at least. Besides Chopper. And Luffy. And the "I'll kill you" threats from Sanji. And the shouts to stop fighting, stop sleeping, stop being lazy from Nami. And…

Well, there weren't many moments of serious conversation around him, at least.

"So, Zoro, do I make you uncomfortable?" When Zoro didn't answer right away, Luffy turned to look over his shoulder. "You didn't really answer earlier."

Zoro let out a breath. "How about you answer one of my questions first?"

Luffy pouted. "But you're the one that avoids answering."

With a scoff, he glanced away. "Well, what the hell was that 'thank you' for anyway?"

This made Luffy turn back around, facing forward, keeping quiet for several seconds before answering. "For what you did. For what you've always done. For what you're doing now."

"I…don't think I understand."

At least that made Luffy giggle. "For being Zoro, kay?" Zoro sighed and was about to respond, but Luffy jumped another question. "Why don't you have your swords with you right now?"

He blinked. "Because…you're…out here?"

"You really trust me that much?"

He blinked again. "Why wouldn't I, Luffy?"

"Because I'm not reliable."

"Yes you ar-"

"No, I'm not! I let Ace die! I let my nakama get scattered! I…"

Unable to believe what he was hearing, but having known this is what had been bothering Luffy all along, Zoro moved forward, climbing on the special seat behind Luffy, sitting down and pulling the boy into his lap, wrapping his arms around in as comforting of a hug as he could manage.

"I let everyone down, too, Luffy. I was too weak to fight on Sabaody, too weak to even run away."

"But that's because of me! Because you almost gave your life to save me! Because I was too weak to stay awake and fight that Kuma guy myself!"

Zoro leaned his forehead down into Luffy's hair, sighed, and squeezed him closer. "But I survived, right?"

"But-"

"Luffy!" The hard tone made Luffy jump and hopefully listen this time. He couldn't stand to see his captain like this; it was hurting him to see Luffy like this, especially when part of it was because of his sacrifice. "I survived. Right?"

Luffy nodded, lightly so as not to smack Zoro in the face. "Right…."

"And you know why I survived?"

Luffy shrugged.

"Because I couldn't leave you alone. I wasn't going to let something like death keep me from seeing your dream come true. I can't leave you alone, Luffy. I won't."

There was silence. The waves lapped at the ship, and the ship creaked in response as it moved. But Luffy's breathing was calming down, and Zoro had not let go, would not let go. "So, I kept you alive? Because of me?"

Letting out the breath he only now realized he had been holding, Zoro nodded. "Yeah. Because of you."

He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of Luffy's black hair; he really did love that hair, though that straw hat was beginning to itch against the spot of bare skin on his chest.

Hopefully, this would be the start of Luffy's emotional recovery. Did it really take him this long to figure out what to say? Did it really take him this long to admit it to himself?

"So I am reliable," Luffy muttered.

Zoro nodded, but he was so tired he was about to fall asleep, using the captain's hair as a pillow. "You're my captain," he mumbled. "Of course you're reliable. Roronoa Zoro wouldn't follow someone who wasn't worth it."

~!~

Luffy didn't respond, just stayed silent, staring out to sea, but feeling Zoro's heartbeat at his back made him calm. It helped him to realize that he _was_ worth it; that he was reliable. At first Zoro may have followed him because he had been somewhat forced, if he wanted to keep his word, but the swordsman had made every point of putting his own goal first, making the swords - especially the white one - seem important in themselves for some reason.

But the pirate hunter had become the pirate. And he had followed Luffy through crazy adventure after crazy, fun adventure. They made memories with the crew, adding on to their number as they traveled. But Zoro had been first, and had always been there when he was needed, willing to risk his life.

And now, Zoro had told him that Luffy's dream meant more, that Luffy meant more. Even if he had grappled him in a tight hug and then fallen asleep - like only Zoro could - it made Luffy realize that he was worth so much more than he had ever thought.

With Ace gone, he was shaken. _"Life is short," _he had thought and been told when Ace had died. _"Death happens in the blink of an eye out here. You can't predict whether you'll be alive or dead by the next island." _

The world was wide; the adventure on the Grand Line was only halfway over, and life out here was unpredictable, but they would continue on. He would continue on. With Zoro. And his other nakama.

But especially with Zoro. His favorite, his first.

~!~

_A/N: And that, as they say, is that. As always, let me know what you think! I love feedback, and I'm still so surprised to find others that like LuZo. Finding good LuZo stuff is hard. If anyone knows of someone they could point me to, I'd be so happy...  
_


	4. In Nightmares

**Author Notes: **So, I'm working on "Claimed" and on "Save Me" (my two big multi-chapter stories - yaoi fangirl me coming to life on 'Claimed' and fantasy/romance fangirl me coming to life on "Save Me"), but I'm also working on 31_days themes because gosh darn it all, I managed to see a one-shot idea for each theme this time. And I'm going to write them all and finish on time, damn it! Anyway, this is third of the 31_days themes - and it goes here because it's LuZo. For those wondering, I have other pairings planned as well. And will have to start a ZoSan/SanZo one shot collection, too, because ideas for -that- pairing came up. As well as others. (And I like to keep my page somewhat organized).

**Disclaimer: **I don't own One Piece - same old same old

**Spoilers/Timeline: **Hrm. I would set it later in the series but I don't think there's any spoilers per se...

**Warnings: **Rated M for a reason. May contain content not suitable for children. No smut, just well, the tone is pretty serious. Technically, this one-shot would be T. Character-death. (sort of? - if you read the theme, you'll get it; don't throw tomatoes until you read it all, please ;P)

**Pairing: **LuZo/ZoLu

**Day/Theme: **September 3rd - "the sleep of reason produces monsters"

~!~

In Nightmares

~!~

Zoro looked around at the growing crowd, feeling like he had just woken up from a deep sleep. He sat up against a wall, a normal position for him to sleep, though he didn't remember choosing a place so odd - a dark, dank alleyway that barely existed between two close buildings. Everything seemed to be all right, though, except... his hand went to his side, his waist, anywhere they could have been but nothing was there. His swords were missing.

_Wado..._

He thought of the white sword first, the one that meant the most to him. Then he thought of the reason why: her. _Kuina I've lost your sword..._

Those thoughts put him into a panic, and he sat up immediately, spinning around on his feet, looking for any sign of the thief. All earlier curiosity at his strange position left him as he searched for his swords; how could he fulfill their promise without his swords, without _her_ sword.

After a moment of worthless glancing around, deciding that whoever had taken them was long gone, he placed his hand against the stone wall, intending to take a minute to think over the problem. His current predicament wasn't just a problem losing his weapons; he also had no idea where he was or why.

But yet _another_, probably more pressing, problem hit him as soon as his hand touched that wall. Instead of holding his weight, allowing him to lean, his hand kept right on moving, going _through_ the stone. Unable to catch his footing because he had not been expecting such a thing to happen, Zoro ended up completely falling through the wall, sliding his way into a vacant room, sprawling across the tile floor of a kitchen.

Blinking, he slowly stood up, holding his hand out, staring at it as if it had suddenly sprouted a look-a-like to Sanji's swirly eyebrow or something worse. Shaking his head, he glanced to the table sitting nearby, noticing a newspaper was open and sitting there, begging him to read. With a frown, he moved, feeling his frown deepen when he read the headline:

"**Pirate King Captured. Execution Set In Fuusha Village, His Hometown.**"

It didn't make any sense. Wasn't Gold Roger's hometown supposed to be Loguetown? Where was this Fuusha Village?

Reading on, he felt his eyes widen, felt his breath hitch.

_"Monkey D. Luffy, the Pirate King, has been captured despite attempts of him and his crew to otherwise prevent it. Crew members known to be dead in the struggle include: Usopp, the marksman; Nico Robin, a death well overdue, and Roronoa Zoro, greatest swordsman and first mate to the Pirate King."_

He felt his hands shaking as he lifted them again to stare, trying to figure out why he didn't look at all pale if he was supposed to be a ghost. Falling through the wall should have been his first clue. Reading it in a headline... And the others, too. He grimaced, clenching his hands into fists and then letting out his breath when he realized there was nothing more he could do.

Hopefully the rest of the crew was okay. And Luffy had yet to be executed. There was still hope.

A noise from outside caught his attention, and he moved to the front door of the house he had invaded - or was 'haunting' the correct term? Zoro reached for the door knob, but when his hand just went straight through he rolled his eyes at himself for forgetting. He was dead. A ghost. He could just walk through walls now; no reason to bother about door knobs or knocking.

After pushing through the door, he found himself floating in the back of a humongous crowd. At first, he had to wonder what all these people were here for. Then he saw the object of their attention, the person responsible for the hushed whispers crawling among the watching crowd.

Monkey D. Luffy: the Pirate King.

Luffy was being led through the streets - had Luffy's village always been so similar to Loguetown? From what he remembered, Luffy had grown up in a small populated area, not a city. Zoro stared with the rest of the crowd as the captured Pirate King was marched forward, to an execution platform not at all unlike the one in Loguetown. It was deathly quiet already, just a few murmurs here and there as the wind knocked back signs and kicked up dust.

Then Luffy stopped and looked over in Zoro's direction, and Zoro felt the urge to strike out when he saw the dried blood coating his captain's exposed face and neck, though Luffy _still_ had that damn straw hat. Their eyes seemed to meet. Zoro stood there, watching, feeling his chest tighten as if he still had a heart that could beat fast. Luffy's eyes lit up when they met with Zoro's, and the Pirate King, no longer a boy, grinned wide just like his old self.

Their eye contact didn't last long. Luffy was a prisoner, and he was soon shoved forward, pushed ever onward to the execution platform. But Zoro felt oddly... maybe a little... relaxed, after seeing Luffy's grin. At least he knew his captain had yet to succumb to depression; at least he knew his captain was going to be prepared to die, was ready to face what fate had in store for him.

Zoro would have stayed in the back of the crowd, but as Luffy moved forward, he felt compelled to follow, like the string still connecting him to this world was being held by the no-longer-boy captain he had chosen to follow all those years ago. So, in his strange ghost-like state, he moved forward, weaving through the crowd. Walking through living creatures proved to be disorienting, so he quickly learned to refrain from doing such a thing.

"Zoro?"

The voice startled him. Standing at the base of the platform, looking up, he watched as the guards led Luffy up - though it did seem to feel more like Luffy was leading _them. _But then the feminine voice spoke and he turned his attention away from his captain.

To see _her_ standing beside him. "Kuina," he murmured.

She smiled, her hands behind her back, leaning slightly forward on her toes, black raven hair cupping her face. He still felt like he should have more of a reaction. Everything just felt hazy, as if he was trapped between sleep and awake, unable to believe what was happening, unable to accept it. He had died protecting Luffy, but it had proved insufficient . That knowledge hurt, pricking at his pride.

"Have you ever wondered what will happen to you after you die?" Kuina questioned, standing close to him and yet not touching. Almost as if there was a bubble separating the two of them.

Zoro shrugged, turning back to the execution platform, crossing his incorporeal arms. They had Luffy kneeling like all prisoners, the seastone shackled at his hands and legs, keeping him from fighting back. But he was fighting back in his own way. His head was high. His back was straight. And he was still grinning, his eyes staring right toward Zoro, as if he could see him, as if he was saying _'Soon, I'll be there, too.'_

Kuina spoke again, her voice sad. "Zoro, he won't be following you."

At first, the words entered and sat there without response. Zoro was too focused on Luffy. Too focused, wincing at the weapons shoving through Luffy's back, killing the Pirate King. Then he noticed that Luffy's ghost didn't appear anywhere near, and there seemed to be a strange light beaming at the spot of his captain's dead body.

He blinked, turned to Kuina, noticed that she had a similar beam of light. Looked at himself, feeling the fear start to cover him when he saw, or rather _didn't_ see the beam anywhere near him. And Kuina was still standing at a strange distance - close, but separated.

Then her words finally registered. "What do you mean?" He heard himself whisper.

She frowned. "You're a demon. Luffy is a -"

Before she finished, he was consumed by darkness...

~!~

... And brought back to the light at the sound of Luffy's voice. "Oi, Zoro, wake up and play with me."

He snapped his eyes open, feeling wind brushing at the short edges of his hair. His hands brushed against the sheathes of his swords, and he was staring at a young Luffy - the Luffy that was the present, the real, the now. The boy was sitting in his lap, that familiar grin plastered on his face.

Zoro took several deep breathes before he could calm down. _It was a dream. A nightmare. _He laid his head back against the ship railing behind him. _Shit but that was too realistic._

Luffy frowned, hat sitting oddly on his head, barely hanging off the side. "Was it a bad dream?"

Zoro stared back at his captain, floored again by Luffy's strange knack at hitting the truth, seeing the problem right away without even a word being spoken. "N-No..." he muttered. What was the point of telling Luffy his nightmare? Even if Luffy saw it as a possible future, he would refuse to believe such a thing could be Zoro's fate.

"Liar," Luffy pointed out right away, lips pouting. Zoro felt his eyebrow twitch, wondering how this boy could believe every story out of Usopp and yet catch one of _his_ lies like it was obvious. "Was it a demon dream? Sanji says you have those a lot..."

Yet again, Zoro found himself unable to answer because of Luffy's accuracy. And he had to wonder how Sanji knew about his dreams. He didn't think he was prone to talk in his sleep, but what if he was? Who else would know? And what would he say?

At Luffy's worried expression, Zoro forced a smirk and leaned forward slightly, placing his forehead against his captain's, their eyes seeing nothing but each other. "Don't worry about it. It was just a dream."

Luffy laughed. "Well, I know that. But do you?"

Zoro frowned and sat back, his eyes looking up at the light coming from the sky. Thinking of how Luffy had gone somewhere he wasn't allowed to follow. Wondering if that really could happen. Curious to know how he would find a way around it, if it did.

Tearing him from his musings, Luffy leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, fingers poking at the back of his neck, scratching at the edge of green hair. "Zoro," Luffy whispered, pulling Zoro's head down to be even with his own. "I won't go where you can't follow."

As if to emphasize the statement, Luffy pressed their lips together, and Zoro let himself be soothed by the gesture, by the words. It felt like it was the truth. Even if what happened in his dream happened in the future, he knew one thing was certain. He could count on Luffy to refuse the rules no matter where they went. Because they would go together. Where ever 'there' ended up being in the end.

~!~

_A/N: *looks up* *re-reads* *blinks* Well, I think that came out rather dark. Wow, uhm. *dodges tomatoes* *picks one up and eats it* Comments?  
_


	5. Swordsman, My Swordsman

**Author Notes: **I find myself enjoying the moments I spend writing in Luffy's point of view. You would think delving into his mind would be confusing, but come to find out - everything's just simplified in the best ways. I think the main reason I have problems reading most ZoLu is because of the way I see Luffy portrayed. I personally see so much more to him than how he's usually written. Who knows, maybe secretly I'm more of a Luffy fan than I let on.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it, don't claim it. Belongs to Oda, an inspirational story-teller if there ever was one in our lifetime.

**Pairing: **LuZo/ZoLu

**Day/Theme: **Sept 10th - "I loved him more for his weakness"

**Spoilers/Timeline:** Occurs in the future of current manga events

**Warning: **Smex in this chapter. Enjoy.

~!~

Swordsman, My Swordsman

~!~

For once, Luffy was not the first to pounce the swordsman. As the others crowded around in congratulations, each offering their own special gift in their own special way, Luffy stayed back and watched the scene. Years ago, they would have wondered where he was, worried over his absence. But after the two year time period away, he had returned calmer, more mature in their eyes, and much more prone to quiet fits spent watching the scenes playing out on his ship.

He liked to watch Usopp and Chopper together, the both still readily playing games, chasing each other around the deck. Most times, he would sit with Chopper as Usopp told a story, a great lie about his past adventures, though now Luffy had learned to recognize his sharpshooters' knack for throwing in the truth - because he had true stories to tell now, even if he still liked to embellish.

He liked to talk to Nami, asking her about her maps, listening even if he didn't understand. It was one of the biggest changes, the crew liked to say - his ability to sit and listen. She had grown, like he had, her smile one he would never forget, and he was proud of her for it - and still to this day, he had yet to be told or ask about her past. Because he didn't need to hear her past to understand her.

He liked to sit with Robin, though she would turn the conversation to Zoro. She figured it out first. What his biggest secret was, the surprise he was holding back. And she liked to talk to him about the swordsman, a faint glimmer of jealousy in her eye but nothing that made him fear. Because it was all up to Zoro anyway, and they both knew it, though he suspected that once Robin found out she stopped intentionally flirting with the green haired nakama.

He liked to bug Sanji about dinner still and demand more meat. Because he would never change his eating habits, no matter how much he matured. But he had a feeling that Sanji wouldn't want him to change that part of his personality, because the cook was always ready with a reasoning retort or a stash of extra food saved and hidden especially for just such occasions.

He liked Franky, and he liked Brook. But he didn't talk with either much. Franky spent time with Robin and Brook was always happy to play a song. Though the skeleton seemed to drift and be alone a lot, yet still sneaking more moments with the green haired swordsman of the group rather than the captain.

It was Zoro he would watch the most, though. From boring hot days to cold breezy nights, he would stand somewhere nearby and watch the swordsman sleeping on the deck. He would try to guess at Zoro's dreams, or he would just sit and smile and enjoy the peaceful expression on the usually hard face. Pouncing him in such situations was the expected and common reaction, a reaction caused by his need to be closer.

Because although he loved all of his nakama, Zoro had been first. Fate had chosen to make him first. And Luffy found a stronger bond between the two of them than between any of the others. Zoro was the start of his pirate crew; at first there had been just a captain and a rowboat, but with Zoro there had been a crew. So it was Zoro that made that first step to making Luffy's dream a reality, even if the swordsman never realized how much that first step had meant to the rubber boy.

Now, after all this time, they were here. Luffy's dream was around the corner. Zoro's dream - and promise - had been fulfilled. The rest of the crew crowded and congratulated, proudly calling him by his new title, the Greatest Swordsman.

But Luffy sat in the background, smiling and watching. He drifted calmly through his thoughts, feeling the emotions spilling over from his swordsman: the excitement, the happiness, and the odd twinge of regret that came with fulfillment. Because even accomplishment meant the great battle, the height of his life, had come to an end.

Zoro looked up from the attention and Luffy locked eyes with the smiling green haired man. He grinned back, and Zoro made his way over to his captain. Luffy stood up, put a hand on his hat, and stared at the ground.

"You're still _my_ swordsman," Luffy murmured.

Though the others praised him and showered him with the compliments, each and every one finally voicing their true feelings about how impressed they were with Zoro's strength. Roronoa Zoro was now the strongest swordsman in the land, the greatest. And they were all impressed by it.

But Luffy had never loved Zoro for his strength. If strength was all it took, he would have found someone else a long time ago. What he loved was the little moments. The moments when Zoro would drop his frown and laugh, when Chopper would have a nightmare and come to Zoro for comfort, when the fear would hit the dark eyes because he thought his nakama was in trouble...

Especially the moment when he asked to have the little girl's ruined rice ball, coughing and sputtering, and then saying, _'Tell her it was good; tell her I ate it all.'_ The moment when Zoro had shown how much he put others before himself, even though he tried to be tough and was known for being one of the scariest members. On the inside, Zoro's heart was no where near as cold as his act pretended.

That was what Luffy loved. The soft side of the strong swordsman.

Apparently, Zoro knew what he liked, too, because he reached out and pulled Luffy forward, pressing their bodies together. And he answered back, "Always."

~!~

Sitting in his arms, Luffy would remember their first times together. The first time his surprise had been let out of the box. He had been able to hold back no more. Sitting outside together in the darkness on watch, Luffy had taken the time to berate the swordsman for risking so much; he had felt the need to prove to Zoro how much he was loved, how much he would be missed.

Backing the swordsman into the wall, he reached out, grabbed at his shirt, forced him down into a kiss. Interrupted his complaints over and over and over again until Zoro had finally fallen and returned. From then on, the green haired nakama had been his, but Luffy knew the swordsman had always been his.

~!~

After each celebration, each victory that came later, they would undoubtedly meet again, talking, comforting, and letting the emotions out behind a thousand sweet kisses. Luffy had staked a claim on the swordsman and the greatest joy was the knowledge that Zoro had let him. When it came to Zoro, the man didn't give in to just anyone, and so Luffy had been a little worried at first, wondering if the swordsman would ever let himself be claimed.

But Zoro had another weak spot, and it centered around his captain.

The two shared moments together, making memories. He learned the secrets that made Zoro laugh, and he quickly used them as much as possible. Because Zoro didn't laugh often and Luffy loved to see it. The swordsman was known for keeping everything in a serious image, and breaking that glass image had become one of Luffy's favorite past times.

In his own way, Zoro found ways to make Luffy think. Because of Zoro, he learned better ways to analyze situations, better ways to predict people, safer ways to trust others without giving everything away. Because he was Luffy, he would always trust a stranger until proven wrong, no matter how much Zoro and the crew wished it otherwise. But that was a side of his innocence he would never give away, even if he learned to put up walls around the people he loved just in case something bad were to happen.

He didn't know why Zoro loved him back, and he would sit sometimes in the dark, wondering such things alone. But Zoro always came and held him close, reminding him how much he meant to the crew, how important Luffy was in their lives and especially in his. Luffy was reminded how Zoro was ready to give up everything _for him_, and he would smile and say the same thing back to the green haired man, except by that time Zoro was usually asleep.

But he was always there.

~!~

Much like he was now, the greatest swordsman in the land now holding onto him and promising that he would never leave, promising to be together forever, and all with one word, one answer. "Always."

Luffy smiled and pulled Zoro away from the others, chose a room to sit alone. A small room with a single bed and a desk or two along the walls with boxes stacked in corners filled with storage supplies. He locked the door behind him and pulled Zoro to the bed, kicking shoes off and demanding Zoro do the same before they sat down.

"So this is your gift?" Zoro asked, sitting against the back of the bed, holding onto Luffy's hands as Luffy sat on his knees in front of him.

Luffy grinned and didn't respond with words, instead leaning forward to press his lips against Zoro's, dropping his hands and letting them sit on the broad shoulders as Zoro reached around and laid his own hands on Luffy's waist. As their tongues battled for control, Luffy tried to pour as much of his feelings into the embrace as possible. He felt like there weren't enough words to explain what he wanted to say, so instead he did his best to transfer the emotion in its purest, rawest form possible.

How much he was proud of his swordsman. How much he had been scared for him. How much he wanted Zoro to stay and complete his dream even though the swordsman's dream was already finished. How much he was worried that Zoro would leave him now.

He poured it all out, moaning as the raw emotion rippled through them. He could feel tears trying to come out of his eyes because there was so much, but he ignored them and let his hands move, let his hands work at releasing the green haired swordsman from his confining clothes, from the fabrics that separated them from being even closer.

When they were both free with Zoro laying with his back on the bed, Luffy on top, he broke the kiss to reach between them and grasp Zoro's member. He sat up, running his fingers up and down the length, playing with it, toying with him.

Zoro was tense at first, but then a moan escaped his lips. "Uhn..." And Luffy smiled as his favorite weakness of Zoro's showed itself, a soft side the swordsman reserved only for him.

He leaned down and left a kiss on one of the red cheeks. Zoro's eyes remained closed and twitching as Luffy's hand continued to work. He moved his lips to an ear, chewing on the lobe a little, continuing on down to the neck only when he got another light moan. With his free hand, he stretched out, reaching for the bottle of lube he kept on one of the desks, pulling his arm back to coat himself.

Zoro noticed what he was doing and reached his own hands up to grip at Luffy's shoulders, his face stern and set as if preparing for the pain of battle. Luffy leaned his face forward to peck a kiss on Zoro's lips, making the swordsman blink, blush, and lose his tension - just what Luffy needed to plunge into his swordsman. Fingers clawed at his skin and Zoro bit back a startled cry before opening his eyes and nodding at his captain.

Without a word, Luffy started to move, pushing as much raw emotion as he could think of into each thrust. Beneath him, Zoro was biting his lip so hard it was bleeding, but he soon relaxed and the lips came open to show that weakness, moaning, breathing in short pulses. Following his instincts, fanning the flames of pleasure, Luffy leaned down and captured his swordsman's lips, allowing the green haired man to moan as loud as he wanted without having to worry about being heard.

He placed his hands on either side of Zoro's head, locking their lips together, his tongue moving as fast as his thoughts, trying to convey every thought and feeling. The pace increased and Luffy felt the fingers on his shoulder digging into skin before they slowly fell to the sheets and clawed at the bed instead. Zoro continued to moan and Luffy answered, throwing out all of his hopes, all of his secrets, all of his love into every movement.

Then Zoro shuddered beneath him, crying out his name as he came, and Luffy felt himself release shortly after, tears in his eyes as the powerful emotions consumed and spurted out inside his lover. For a while, they lay there, Luffy collapsed on Zoro's chest, stickiness and sweat between them.

"Damn," Zoro breathed, "That felt -"

But Luffy was crying and he couldn't stop. All the emotion was just so much he couldn't hold back. He sniffed and swallowed but murmured words into Zoro's chest. "You're mine. You won't leave, will you? I don't want you to leave, but your dream came true and...and..."

"Oi, Luffy," Zoro squeezed him to grab his attention. Even though the words were muffled, he seemed to have heard enough. "What did I say?"

"Huh?"

Zoro sighed and sat up, grimacing slightly as Luffy pulled out, before reaching around and holding Luffy in a hug, leaning over his captain, pressing the boy's head to his chest. "I'll always be here."

"Always?"

Zoro nodded, "Yeah, always."

"But..." Luffy chewed on his bottom lip. "What if I'm not strong enough for you?"

His answer was a laugh, and he resisted the urge to hit Zoro for making fun of him. "I never said I loved you because you were strong, Luffy. I knew you were strong from our first meeting, but I didn't fall in love with you until later. Because I love everything about you."

"Even the weak moments?" Luffy muttered, thinking about how alike he and Zoro really were.

"Even that," Zoro replied. "Especially that."

~!~

_A/N: Awww...There I go being sappy again. Can't help it really. Putting way too much of my own feelings into what I write. _

_Kairi: Kairi-chan be a pervert! =3_


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